Conservatives Want To Turn Back The Clock On Contraception And Reproductive Rights

February 27, 2011 — Ron Chusid

In 2010 we had an unusual election in which people voted against the party in power out of frustration about the economy. They did so ignoring what the Republicans support, along with their blame in actually causing the economic crisis. Some years it just isn’t good to be an incumbent. At least this is giving us a chance to demonstrate what the right actually believes in. Hopefully enough voters are paying attention to conservative beliefs such as that expressed by Kathryn Lopez when she argues that Contraception is Not The solution.

The absurdity of Lopez’s title is quite apparent. Contraception is the solution for women who want to have sex without having children, regardless of their marital status. Access to contraception is also necessary if you want to reduce the number of abortions.

On the other hand, contraception is not recognized as an acceptable solution to those on the right whose desire is to control the lives of others. Lopez wants “to turn back the clock — to a time when we valued love and marriage and didn’t expect, support and even encourage promiscuity.” Making contraception more difficult to obtain might discourage some acts of promiscuity, but the desire for sex is hardly a new development in human history. Besides, do we really want a government which decides whether it is okay to have sex? I certainly never noticed that role for government in the Constitution. Promiscuity will continue regardless of what the Republicans do, but if conservatives have their way the result will be turning back the clock to the day of coat-hanger abortions.